Soon after President Trump returned to the White House after being discharged from Walter Reed Medical Center for COVID-19 treatment, he was photographed ripping off his mask, signaling his continued dismissive stance on the virus. From the start, President Trump has brushed off the seriousness of COVID-19 and has perpetuated the idea that it is “like the flu.” As his Twitter account serves as his preferred method of communication, a comparison of his tweets from March of this year and tweets from early October show that he directly contradicts himself. In March, he tweeted, “So last year, 27,000 Americans died from the common Flu. It averages between 27,000 and 70,000 per year. Nothing is shut down, life & the economy go on. At this moment, there are 546 confirmed cases of CoronaVirus with 22 deaths. Think about that!” Things to consider here: this was tweeted on March 9, 2020, only a month and a half after the first confirmed case in the U.S., a time when accessibility to COVID-19 tests was extraordinarily limited, and a point in time before we even understood how to protect ourselves. It is also pointless to use the statistic of 546 confirmed cases from one and a half months at the beginning of a novel coronavirus pandemic to compare to an annually researched and commonly treatable virus.
Now, compare that tweet to one he issued on October 6th. This one states, “Flu season is coming up! Many people every year, sometimes over 100,000, and despite the Vaccine, die from the Flu. Are we going to close down our country? No, we have learned to Live with it, just like we are learning to live with Covid, in most populations far less lethal.” Noting the discrepancies between these tweets is not an arduous task. This data, and many other statistics he tweets out, has been objectively shown to be untrue. For Trump to knowingly make up and communicate statistics during this pandemic to fit his narrative only works to further pit Americans against each other, promote misinformation, and discredit science.
As we have seen, Trump’s administration likes to highlight that the survival rate of COVID-19 as 90-99%. However, this can be misleading because the survival rate and the death count of a virus do not show the whole picture. From what researchers are learning, some people diagnosed with COVID-19 may have lingering symptoms that impact their daily life long after their initial diagnosis. The death count also does not illuminate the struggles individuals may have before surviving the virus. As we know, and as with most illnesses, the severity of it depends on the individual. Severe symptoms of COVID can leave people gasping for air, intense chest pain from persistent, hard coughing, the possible need for ventilation, and more. There is also serious concern that the infection rates and death counts have been severely underreported due to lack of reporting infrastructure, comorbidities, and political issues. What’s important to keep in mind is that even if someone survives this disease, it doesn’t mean that they did not immensely suffer first. We should be empathetic of their experiences and seek to prevent others from suffering in this way.
Equally significant is that although the survival rate is reported to be high, we have lost over 219,000 Americans as I am writing this on Sunday, October 11. These deaths do not only include older seniors or people with severe pre-existing conditions, but young people as well. Broadway actor Nick Cordero was diagnosed with COVID in late March. He was 41, healthy with no pre-existing conditions. He and his wife had recently had a son together. After a valiant, 95-day fight against COVID, filled with complications including a leg amputation, Cordero passed away. Seeing experiences such as this, it is clear that the Trump administration’s narrative on COVID demonstrates either a lack of or unwillingness to accept a basic understanding of science since it does not reflect well on them, and also a lack of basic empathy, compassion and humanity.
If you have lost a loved one from COVID-19, I stand in solidarity with you and apologize for our president’s inability to feel and promote compassion and empathy for your situation. If you or someone you know battled it and survived, I recognize your struggles. If you have been negatively impacted by the pandemic in any way, I send my condolences and well-wishes for the future. This virus is real. We have a responsibility as members of the United States to protect our fellow citizens. It is disheartening to see that so many Americans have followed the Trump administration’s rhetoric that minimizes this virus, actively promotes disinformation, and mocks those who are actively working to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Anyone with a basic understanding of health and science understands that hygiene techniques such as regular hand washing and wearing a mask have been requirements for our health care providers for many years. We clearly recognize that these actions prevent the spread of both viruses and bacteria. Wearing a mask is not about restricting anyone’s freedom, and the political rhetoric that suggests so is disingenuous. The sooner we are able to contain and hopefully eradicate this virus, the sooner we are able to continue doing the things we want to do, to fully reopen our schools, and restore our economy. Wearing a mask and following social distancing protocols serve the common good of our society. So if you are a person who complains about wearing a piece of fabric on your face to protect others, I hope you can recognize these simple, previously common knowledge, ideas. A failure to do the most basic task now will inevitably cause you to feel the weight of your actions in the future.